“Oh, sure, keep saying that,” Vivian replied, still snickering. “You don’t want to come home, and we all know it. Hell, Mom and Dad know it. The only one who won’t admit it is you.”
Eris was quiet for a moment, and he wished he could study her face. Forcing himself to remain against the wall, he fought down the urge to go in there and claim her. She needed to finish this pivotal phone call if he hoped for a good outcome. It sounded like Vivian was her sister, and maybe Eris needed someone to spell it out in order for her to see what Gabriel already believed he knew.
They should be together. Last time didn’t work out, but now they were in the right place, right time. He didn’t intend to give up on that hope.
“What if I’m making it all up in my head?” she said quietly, almost to the point he couldn’t hear her. “There’s a chance that this connection is forced on my end, and I’m creating ties that aren’t really there.”
That damn self-doubt is always getting the best of her, Gabriel mentally mused.
“You’re in his house,” Vivian huffed. “Don’t pretend it doesn’t mean something. Your doubts might cloud your judgment, but if he’s willing to let you walk around like you own the place, that’s a sign. Does he need to paint a target so you get the point?”
“I’m notthatdense.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Vivian sighed. “All the signs are there. You guys connected after more than a year apart, and if this isn’t fated love, then I simply don’t believe in it. Stop holding yourself back and go get your man. Or, let him get you. However being chased is supposed to work.”
Eris snorted, straightening up. Gabriel did too, sensing the end of the call, and his heart swelled at her next words. “He’ll get me. But, I think this time, I might let him keep me when he catches me.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Eris
When Eris finished her phone call, she turned to discover a gorgeous, masked man standing in the archway, arms crossed, her favorite glowing mask hiding his expression.
All at once, the doubts she’d had during her call faded. Talking to her sister made her vulnerable, sharing the things she wasn’t certain she wanted to tell Gabriel out loud, but he was here now. Looking at her through the mask with that hungry expression she always imagined when they played, even if she couldn’t see it clearly.
Her body heated, and she knew she could get used to this. If he kept playing with her like a toy she was going to become one, and here in this big house to explore, it really wouldn’t be so bad…
“Strip,” he commanded, his voice thick. She could see the bulge in his pants, and her hands made quick work of the tank and shorts she’d worn over here. Her shoes were back by the front door, so it only took moments to strip bare and undo the banana clip in her hair, letting her long locks fall free.
“Were you listening to me?” she breathed, rubbing her thighs together. That plug made every shift slightly uncomfortable,and it was part of the reason she abandoned the chair during her plant watering extravaganza. Watering while balancing and squirming around made her hypersensitive, but he seriously needed someone in here who knew about plants.
“For a while,” Gabriel allowed, crossing the room in slow strides.
She wished he would hurry up, pounce on her, and nail her against the wall.
“Think I can make you cream across the table in here, little vixen?”
She blushed, pressing her hands to her cheeks. “Of course that’s what you heard!”
“I heard a lot,” Gabriel agreed, stopping out of reach.
She wanted to scream, wondering where the hunt part of her game was. If Gabriel wanted to be sweet and romantic with her, he’d drag her to the bedroom, but she had the feeling this wasn’t the case.
“I think I’ve caught myself a prize.”
Eris jumped back, ready to play. “You haven’t caught anything yet, Master.”
He clicked his tongue, and her eyes widened as his fingers went for his belt. Instead of undoing his pants, which would be silly if he was trying to give chase, he ripped his belt away from his jeans.
He wrapped the belt partway around in a circle, creating a loop, and then started doing something similar on the other side. Eris shook her head, focusing on his face again. “If you want me, Master, catch me.”
“Oh, I plan to,” he replied, and she resisted the urge to look down. Whatever he was planning, she would know all about it soon enough. “I’ve been stretching your ass for just the right moment. Perhaps it’s time I claim my favorite hole.”
Lust pooled low in her body at the idea. He hadn’t fucked her like that yet, and her body craved the burn that came with anal so badly that she could almost come from the thought alone. He had toyed with her for days, but this was the first time she seriously thought he would do it. When he’d filled her with the large plug earlier, she’d known it would only be a matter of time before he made those fantasies a reality.
Reaching up, she played with her sore nipples, whimpering as they hardened at her touch. “I told you already. Want me? Catch me.”
She threw herself to the side, clothes abandoned, and made a sweeping circle around him. Gabriel didn’t try to grab her as she passed, which just set her on edge. If he let her get away, then he planned on turning this into a real hunt.